Parenting without caffeine

It can apparently be done. I have know Mormons who do it and have lots of kids too. So it is possible. I just wouldn't advise it!

Mad mad weekend

We were crazy busy this weekend. But it was lots of fun.

Friday after preschool we met up with Val and Megan for a quick ice cream treat. Then we came home and had a quick play with Max and family. Saturday we had Mel, Cadence and Kalia over for some fun play. Then in the afternoon I had a visit with Katherine (a bit of adult company to help me keep grounded!).

We were at Mom and Dad's yesterday again. So busy busy busy.

It is snowing today and the temperatures are going to be a bit colder this week. Heck as long as it isn't -30 I'm good. I must admit though I am looking forward to spring. I love just being able to go out with the kids in the morning and letting them play while I work on my tiny little patch of garden.

I never used to really care whether it was winter or summer. But since I have had kids the summer is just so much easier and more fun. I find kids play better when they have lots of space to run around.

So if we all cheer to ourselves maybe spring will come sooner.

Gavin on God (again)

This conversation happened very early yesterday morning.

Gavin - Mommy is God our boss.
Me - Yes, he is our boss I guess.
Gavin - So we do what he says, right?
Me - Yes, we need to do what God wants us to do.
Gavin - So he's the real boss?
Me - Yes (Feeling slightly curious about the religious thoughts)
Gavin - So that means that you aren't the REAL boss - he is.
Me - silence - it is just too early to respond to this!

Time flies

I seriously don't know where the days go. When I was a child there were times when time seemed to stand still. It took forever for things to happen. Now I just turn around and boom a week is gone! Yes, that fast.

I have had a great deal on my mind lately - lots of things that I'd love to share on the blog - you know deep thoughts etc. But, I just can't get the thought to last long enough that it makes it to the Internet. So you can be assured that while I may still be a deep thinker I have a very short memory! For now you are spared my thoughts and inspirations - you can breathe a sigh of relief.

Highlights since my last post -
Making cupcakes with my children only to have the little ingrates decide that they were "yucky."

Deciding to take the kids swimming on to spend the afternoon in various parking lots unable to get a parking spot. I was feeling lots of love toward humanity on Valentine's day.

Having fun play with Max and family - we are so lucky to have such great neighbors.

Great roast beef at Mom and Dad's house.

Having Bronwyn spill a glass of water and say quickly - "Oopsies, dats alright dats alright."

Being inspired by my son's observation that we are in the van and it is moving, the stuff outside isn't and neither is the stuff inside the van. I am encouraged and hope this means that he won't do as dismally as I did in physics.

Having my hard working husband take a whole day off to spend with us.

Watching Mari not only roll over but somehow get herself tangled up on the frame of her little chair. She's a mover!

Hearing this evening that Wes' cousin's wife is finally starting to do a bit better. Karen we have been praying for you and thinking of you.

Deciding that I am finally too tired to even be cranky.

Going to Cochrane with Val to meet Hope and kids and go for a swim and lunch.

Having long visits with all of Wes' aunts.


Our life has been very blessed and we are very thankful. Our thoughts and prayers are with Wes' uncle as he is in the hospital. We love you Uncle Gerry.

Valentine's Day

As a reminder of how important happy heart day has become for our family, we got a phone call from Bronwyn's cardiologist this morning. Dr. Harder has presented Bronwyn's case to the surgical team and they are pleased and think it looks like the surgery should be very straight forward. We are on the list, it should be about 4 months, she is not considered urgent in her present state of health. So mid-June is the rough time line for the next surgery.

The kids have embraced Valentine's day. Gavin has learned to associate holidays with candy. He said yesterday, "Holiday's are when we get together and eat lots of candy, right?" I said, "Well, not ever holiday." Then I started to think about it and well, OK Canada usually isn't a heavy candy day. Neither is Victoria day or Remembrance day. But Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's, Easter - the kid has a point. It seems we treat our way through the winter holidays for sure.

Bronwyn helped me shop for the Halloween treats - she likes to shop our girl. She kept putting things in the basket and saying, "Ma have dat," or "Ma need that." She is really a chatty girl lately and a lot of fun.

Mari is doing well - getting over her cold nicely. She is such a smiley little thing. At night sometimes I can (even in the dark) tell she's smiling at me. What a cutie pie. This week she has cried herself to sleep on the floor a couple times, waiting for me to attend to her. Poor neglected little mite.

We are going swimming today with the neighbors. I'll sit it out with Mari but the rest should enjoy that. Maybe I'll get some pictures.

Hope you all have a very happy Valentine's. Eat candy!

Mostly on the mend

We are almost all healthy. Mari just needs to shake the cough and get some sleep. I could use a little too. This is short post as I am headed to bed IMMEDIATELY. Just wanted to let you all know that the kids are getting better and are once again into all sorts of mischief.

We've been sick

First Gavin got it. Then Bronwyn. Now Mari has it. "It" is a bad head cold with a heck of a cough. Gavin is the one who seems to have been the hardest hit so far. Although the hardest for me is listening to Mari hack. There is something just so scary about a baby with a bad cough. Gavin is on the mend today though.

Gavin's preschool is doing skating classes once a week through February. Today was his first class. He hasn't been a skating enthusiast up to this point. In fact, he generally tires of it quickly and wants to quit. I think doing the classes and forcing him to stay for the full hour will really help. He was still pretty tired today and got frustrated easily. At one point he was laying on the ice refusing to get up, saying - I quit! I quit!

I thought I'd upload a couple pictures. I love the one of Gavin with his new buddies from church. Wilson and Sarah and their kids met us at Mom and Dad's for supper last Friday night. Gavin had a blast playing with them.

The following night we went over to Max's house (I guess Matt and Natasha's house in reality) for pizza. It was great fun too. Sunday was the usual fun at Mom and Dad's. That was followed by two days of coughing and tissues! Wow - what an awful lot of tissues.